Building a Bluegreen Future launched at Forum

National today
launched Building a Bluegreen Future, an environment
policy paper reporting on the progress of the National-led
Government over the past three years and setting out the
next steps to be taken in this term.

“This plan is
about bringing together policies that support a strong
growing economy with sound stewardship of our natural
environment. It has been put together by National’s
18-strong Bluegreens Caucus and covers our work on climate
change, energy, transport, biosecurity, freshwater,
biodiversity, oceans, recycling, contaminated sites, air
quality, and outdoor recreation,” Minister for the
Environment Nick Smith said at the launch of the paper at
the Bluegreens’ 13th Annual Forum at Lake Pupuke on the
North Shore.

”We are proud of our record in
Government. New Zealand is planting more trees, building
more renewable power stations, insulating more houses,
cleaning up more lakes and rivers, converting more homes to
clean heating and recycling more waste.”

“We
have an ambitious legislative plan for improving the
environment: We will pass by 1 July 2012 new laws to protect
New Zealand’s huge ocean area known as the Exclusive
Economic Zone. We will be making improvements to the
Emissions Trading Scheme by 1 January 2013 to ensure New
Zealand continues to do its fair share on the global problem
of climate change. We will also pass new laws on
environmental reporting and marine reserves.”

“We also have an exciting programme of initiatives to
advance this term covering the clean-up and better
management of lakes and rivers, electrification of rail,
extending incentives for electric cars, improving
biosecurity and biodiversity, recycling TVs as part of the
digital switchover, managing contaminated sites, and
implementing tighter rules to improve air quality.”

“The policy paper updates a similar document A
Bluegreen Vision for New Zealand produced by National in
opposition in 2006, which formed the blueprint for our
environment programme during our first term in
Government.”

“These practical environment
policies are right for the times. New Zealanders want
balanced policies that will create jobs and improve living
standards while ensuring we protect our clean green brand
and great Kiwi lifestyle,” says Dr Smith.

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